The last book in the Bible is one of the most misunderstood. Because of its complexity, some Christians avoid Revelation, leaving the weightier matters of end-time prophecy for Bible scholars and theologians. But 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Revelation is a vital part of “all Scripture.” Without it, our knowledge of God and His Word would be incomplete.
Revelation Overview Chart
Revelation’s Message: God Wins
Revelation’s Purpose: To Bless and Equip Us
Revelation’s Symbolism: A Picture of the End Times
Revelation’s Themes: Warfare, Judgment, and Ultimate Victory
What Revelation Means for You
The word apocalypse means “unveiling,” and that’s precisely what the book of Revelation is. It is a prophetic book that unveils key events related to the End Times. Although the apostle John originally wrote Revelation to the seven churches in Asia Minor, it reveals details of a vision he received from Christ Jesus that are pertinent to all of God’s people.
Revelation Overview
The Book of Revelation |
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|---|---|
| Introduction | Revelation 1 |
The Church Age |
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| Letters to the Seven Churches | Revelation 2–3 |
The Tribulation Period |
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| The Seven Seals | Revelation 6:1–8:6 |
| The Seven Trumpets | Revelation 8:7–11:19 |
| The Counterfeit Trinity | Revelation 12–14 |
| The Seven Bowls | Revelation 15–16 |
| The Collapse of Satan’s Empire | Revelation 17–19 |
Second Coming: Jesus Christ Returns With the Church |
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| The Millennium | Revelation 20:1-6 |
| The Great White Throne Judgment | Revelation 20:7-14 |
| The New Heaven and New Earth | Revelation 21–22 |
Revelation’s Message: God Wins
Revelation’s message is too important for us to miss. The Gospels present Christ’s humiliation—His earthly life, ministry, death, and resurrection. And the epistles give glimpses of Christ’s coming glory in passages such as Philippians 2, where Paul states that every knee will bow to Him one day. However, Revelation reverses Christ’s humiliation and reveals Him as the King of kings and Lord of lords in all His glory. It anticipates the day He takes His rightful place as Ruler over all the earth. By presenting Jesus Christ in glory, Revelation places a capstone on history.
In Greek, the word for “throne” appears 46 times in Revelation, “king” appears 25 times, and “power” and “authority” occur 33 times. When John beheld a vision of Christ’s majesty, he “fell at His feet as dead” (Revelation 1:17). This response to God’s glory is not uncommon, for the same thing happened to Daniel in the Old Testament (Daniel 10:7-9). One day we, too, will encounter the living God, and we will find ourselves overcome by His splendor and holiness.
If you enjoy checking items off lists, get your pencil ready. Genesis portrays the commencement of heaven and earth, but Revelation depicts their consummation. Genesis describes the entrance of sin and the curse, but Revelation predicts their end. Genesis reveals the dawn of Satan and his activities, but Revelation reveals Satan’s doom. In Genesis, humanity relinquished the tree of life; in Revelation, humankind regains the tree of life. Death made its entrance in Genesis, but it exits in Revelation. In Genesis, sorrow begins; in Revelation, suffering is banished. All the themes that run throughout Scripture find their culmination in Revelation.
Recommended Reading: “Bible Overview: A Simple Introduction to God’s Word”
Revelation’s Purpose: To Bless and Equip Us
The book of Revelation is the only book in the Bible that offers a special blessing to those who read it. In fact, John makes it clear that his purpose for writing the book is to bless God’s people: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3). Toward the end of the book, John reminds the reader of Revelation’s promise—this time in the red-letter words of Jesus Christ: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). We can experience God’s blessing just by reading the book of Revelation, but the road to true success lies in submitting our life to God’s Word.
As our world descends deeper into chaos, the message of Revelation remains as relevant as it ever was. Its pages contain an open letter from God with critical information about the future. It is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ… to show His servants” (Revelation 1:1). Only by studying what God has revealed to us about the future can we prepare for it. We cannot fully grasp where we are now without knowing where we are going.
When we think about all the atrocities happening in our world, it is easy to become discouraged. The devil’s work is evident around every corner. Sometimes it even feels like he is winning. But the book of Revelation renews our hope for the future by reminding us that Christ is the Victor and that He will return in all His glory to rule and reign in perfect peace. After Satan is bound (Revelation 20:1-3), Christ will bring justice through His righteous judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), and we will be glorified in Him forever! (Revelation 22:1-5)
Recommended Reading: “Revelation’s 7 Promises to Every Believer”
Revelation’s Symbolism: A Picture of the End Times
Christ Jesus revealed the events of Revelation to John in a vision filled with fantastic symbols and images. Although John could only preserve this vision with written words, he received it visually. We can think of the book of Revelation as a picture book that uses signs and symbols to communicate the message of the End Times.
Here is a brief explanation of Revelation’s key symbols.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The first four seal judgments consist of horsemen who gallop across the earth, carrying various forms of judgment.
- The white horse and rider: the Antichrist (Revelation 6:2)
- The red horse and rider: war and bloodshed (Revelation 6:3-4)
- The black horse and rider: famine (Revelation 6:5-6)
- The pale horse and rider: pestilence and death (Revelation 6:7-8)
Lamb of God.
This phrase is a metaphor to describe Jesus Christ. One day John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) John repeated himself the next day, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) In Revelation, the symbol reappears several times (Revelation 5:6; 7:9; 14:10; 15:3; 19:9; 21:22-23; 22:1, 3).
Seven Bowls.
The book of Revelation focuses on three symbols: seals, trumpets, and bowls. The seven seal judgments present the world ruined by man. Next, the seven trumpet judgments portray the world ruled by Satan. Finally, the seven bowl judgments prefigure the world reclaimed by God. This final set of events will occur rapidly, one after the other, at the end of the Tribulation.
- First bowl: “Foul and loathsome” sores afflict everyone who has taken the mark of the Beast (Revelation 16:2).
- Second bowl: Echoing the horrors of the second trumpet, the second bowl turns the oceans to blood, killing everything in it (Revelation 16:3).
- Third bowl: Heaven avenges the blood of the martyrs by turning all of earth’s freshwater lakes and rivers to blood (Revelation 16:4-7).
- Fourth bowl: Scorching heat afflicts the ungodly, causing many to die (Revelation 16:8-9).
- Fifth bowl: Physical darkness envelops the earth, mirroring the pervasive spiritual darkness (Revelation 16:10-11).
- Sixth bowl: In preparation for the battle of Armageddon, the Euphrates dries up, allowing an army of 200 million to cross over it (Revelation 16:12-16; 19).
- Seventh bowl: This final judgment destroys the last vestiges of every religious, political, and educational institution that stands apart from God by shaking the earth to its core (Revelation 16:17-21).
Seven Seals.
In Revelation 4–5, John views God’s throne from which the Tribulation judgments proceed. The Lamb takes a scroll containing seven seals from the One on the throne. Representing judgments that are about to fall upon the earth, the seven seals follow a 4 + 3 pattern. The first four seals represent general judgments to be carried out by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Soon after, God initiates the judgments of the final three seals: the martyrs’ cry, cosmic disturbances, and the prelude to the seven trumpets (Revelation 6:9-17; 8:1-6).
Seven Trumpets.
As God relinquishes control of the earth to Satan in the last terrible days of the Tribulation, seven trumpets sound, declaring the Lord’s ultimate judgment.
- First trumpet: ecological devastation leads to a loss of vegetation (Revelation 8:7).
- Second trumpet: one-third of the world’s saltwater bodies turn to blood (Revelation 8:8-9).
- Third trumpet: one-third of the world’s freshwater turns bitter (Revelation 8:10-11).
- Fourth Trumpet: atmospheric disruption causes an extreme decrease in temperature (Revelation 8:12-13).
- Fifth trumpet: Satan and his demons swarm the earth (Revelation 9:1-12).
- Sixth trumpet: four evil angels wreak havoc, killing a third of the world population (Revelation 9:13-21).
- Seventh trumpet: Christ’s kingdom is proclaimed, ushering in the bowl judgments of chapter 16 (Revelation 11:15-19).
Recommended Reading: “How Bad Will the Tribulation Be?”
Revelation’s Themes: Warfare, Judgment, and Ultimate Victory
Not everything in the Bible is easily understood. Many wise sayings in Proverbs, Christ’s parables, and John’s apocalyptic visions demand that we search for their meaning. Reading the book of Revelation requires having “ears to hear” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Each sign and symbol contains new insights just waiting for our discovery. Nevertheless, seven distinctive themes emerge from behind the many signs and symbols in Revelation.
Christ the Lamb and King.
Whenever the Lord appears in a vision in the book of Revelation, He is always central. He is the glorified Lamb, the worshiped Lamb, the magnified Lamb, and the vindicated Lamb. And 26 times in this letter, John sees Christ as the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world (John 1:29). This same Lamb returns to kill those who rebel against God and reign victorious as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 1:5; 5:5-10; 12:1-11; 17:14; 19:16).
Spiritual Warfare.
The central plotline of Revelation is spiritual warfare—Satan and his demons and earthly representatives war against the authority of God and His Son. Satan attempts to deceive the entire world and lead them astray. The book’s conclusion—the return of the victorious King—is the ultimate message that God wins the spiritual war.
Correction.
The letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2–3) become letters to the churches through the ages—with warnings about complacency, syncretism, heresy, and apathy (Revelation 2:1–3:22; 13:1-18; 17:1–18:24).
Deliverance.
The promise of Revelation 3:10, along with the Church’s absence from the central chapters of Revelation, affirms that Christ is the ark that delivers believers from the storms of the Tribulation. The Christian’s destiny is to reign with Him, not be punished by Him (Revelation 19:1-10; 20:1-6).
Destruction of Satan and Evil.
In stark detail, the apostle John presents what the prophet Daniel saw centuries before—the kingdoms of this world passing away and the advent of Christ’s kingdom (Daniel 2:44; 4:3; 6:26; 7:13-14). God’s chief opponent throughout the biblical story of redemption finally receives his eternal punishment (Revelation 20:7-10).
Eternal Salvation.
The New Jerusalem that descends to earth from heaven fulfills Christ’s promise of going away to prepare a dwelling place for His followers (Revelation 21:1–22:6; John 14:1-4).
Worship.
The book of Revelation is about adoration for God. It contains scene after scene of heaven worshiping God and the Lamb because the Godhead alone is worthy (Revelation 4–5). God’s people are a worshiping people.
Recommended Reading: “What Is the Millennium? 7 Answers to 7 Questions”
What Revelation Means for You
For those who take the time to peer into the future, the book of Revelation contains hope and victory. God wins. Christ triumphs. Righteousness prevails. Satan loses. Sorrow, sickness, and death reach a tipping point, only to disappear forever. A new heaven and earth emerge from the ashes of the old. And God Himself wipes away every tear from His children’s eyes.
Regardless of what happens in this life—no matter how depressing the world news or how dark the season we might endure—life in Christ has a happy ending, and nothing on earth, heaven, or hell can ever take that away. When the heartache of this present world weighs heavily upon us, we have only to look ahead to the radiant end of one story and the joyous beginning of another—an eternal tale with one central theme: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” (Revelation 5:12)